(Credits: Far Out / Rhino)
Wed 28 January 2026 20:30, UK
When it came to Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young, there was no real star; that was the beauty of it.
You could argue that the introduction of Neil Young changed that slightly, for the Canadian singer was usually so uncompromising in his creative approach that he could be labelled as the de facto diva. But the truth was, even though Young changed the make-up of the band and darkened their otherwise chirpy sound, he bought into the community ethos of the band.
Because really, it was an obvious prerequisite for anyone joining the original troupe. Despite Crosby, Stills and Nash’s warring individual personalities, there was an undoubted sense of magic that appeared when the three of them shared harmonies and sang the sweet melodies of their Americana songwriting.
What really drew people to the band was the strange magic between their unity and their tension. They came together from three far-flung corners of the Atlantic, and on paper, it shouldn’t have worked. But somehow, it did. Stephen Stills poured his energy into layered guitar work, weaving together folk-rock, country, blues and Latin influences. Graham Nash, on the other hand, had a gift for turning personal stories into melodies that stuck – heartfelt, but always with a pop-rock edge.
Then there was David Crosby, who, despite spearheading the free and easy hippie movement, consistently used his music to grind whatever axe he had in mind. Cantankerous, uncompromising but deeply emotional, his songs often spiralled into the darker worlds of social consciousness that the band’s harmonies could otherwise live above.
But it was that emotional anchoring that made him so integral to the band. There was a depth to his songwriting and performance that added an extra layer of soul to the CSN and CSNY sound, making him arguably their most important member.
When he died in 2023, Young paid tribute to that skill by saying, “David is gone, but his music lives on,” Young wrote. “The soul of CSNY, David’s voice and energy were at the heart of our band. His great songs stood for what we believed in and it was always fun and exciting when we got to play together.”
Nash supported Young’s tribute with an equally profound line that mused on the true depth of his personality. A depth that he openly admitted caused a rift between the pair, but informed the music at the very same time.
He said, “I know people tend to focus on how volatile our relationship has been at times, but what has always mattered to David and me more than anything was the pure joy of the music we created together, the sound we discovered with one another, and the deep friendship we shared over all these many long years.”
He concluded, “He spoke his mind, his heart, and his passion through his beautiful music and leaves an incredible legacy.”
Of all the members of this iconic band, it’s perhaps Crosby’s deep personal trauma that can be felt strongest in their music. ‘Delta’ and ‘Wooden Ships’ spring to mind as examples of Crosby laying all parts of himself on a track and making the band a more compelling listen in the process.
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